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Kali O'Brien #6

Intent to Harm

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When a potential client known only as Betty is murdered right before her eyes and she is left wounded, San Francisco lawyer Kali O'Brien learns that the crime is related to the puzzling disappearance of Betty's niece eight years earlier. Reprint.

345 pages

First published January 1, 2003

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Jonnie Jacobs

29 books38 followers

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5 stars
65 (29%)
4 stars
78 (34%)
3 stars
64 (28%)
2 stars
13 (5%)
1 star
4 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
1,746 reviews6 followers
June 28, 2021
Kali O'Brien is intrigued enough by a woman's request that she meets her in a secluded spot without any information about why she's there. The woman, Betty, gets killed before telling Kali anything. Kali is wounded and left with nothing but questions. Who killed Betty and why...or was Kali the target? Betty was extremely secretive and nervous when she contacted Kali, surely hiding something. Kali feels unsafe, looking over her shoulder waiting for the killer to come finish her off. Watching Betty get killed and knowing the same could have happened to her leaves Kali looking at her life in a way she never has before. When Betty is connected to an old case concerning a missing person it becomes clear that someone is trying to stop Kali from opening that door. But not being able to let it go Kali puts herself in danger as she tries to stop the threat on her life.
Profile Image for Lisa.
25 reviews
May 28, 2019
THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT HAD ME FLIPPING MY GUESS ON WHO THE SUSPECT WAS THROUGHOUT THE BOOK!
30 reviews
November 18, 2019
Great mystery
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for LJ.
3,159 reviews305 followers
March 12, 2008
INTENT TO HARM (Suspense-Kali O’Brien-California/Nevada-Cont) - G
Jacobs, Jonnie – 6th in series
Kensington Books, 2003, US Hardcover – ISBN: 1575668297

First Sentence: The blue Toyota turned off Highway 89 along the western shore of Lake Tahoe and into Ponderosa Pines Park.

Attorney Kali O’Brien is asked to meet a new client, Betty, in a park by Lake Tahoe. Although the request is unusual, Kali agrees and ends up with a dead client and a gunshot wound in her shoulder. Investigating Betty’s death leads Kali to another case of a woman thought to be murdered eight years previous, but still alive and still with someone trying to rectify that.

This was not my favorite Kali O’Brien story. Jacobs does do a credible job of creating and building suspense, maintaining several story threads and typing them all neatly up at the end. Her characters are well done, well developed and interesting. However, the story felt long and overly involved, but it was the overwhelming coincidence that caused my rating to drop.
Profile Image for April.
2,201 reviews59 followers
September 17, 2016
“This audiobook was given by the author at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”


Intent to Harm is the sixth book in the Kali O'Brien series. The listener experiences suspense, mystery, romance and more in this legal thriller, that is set outside the courtroom. Kalie is contacted by a mysterious client that wants to meet with her confidentiality. The plot thickens and spins in many different directions before we get to the end. There was just enough foreshadowing that I figured the "villain " but not the motive. I really enjoyed the interaction between the characters. There was even a bit of humor that made me chuckle. I want more of this series.


The narration was well done.The characters were well portrayed.
549 reviews6 followers
September 23, 2016
This is a very suspenseful story and it's reasonably realistic. Predictably, there's some gratuitous romance that adds nothing to the story and could easily
have been omitted, but it seems authors feel compelled to include it. I like the main characters, although I think they could have been more fully developed
with some backstory.

Cindy Piller performs adequately. Nothing about her narration stands out, but she gets the job done.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for this unbiased review.
2,475 reviews
October 4, 2016
kali the attorney is still in oakland. but she goes to tahoe to meet some client and the woman is shot and killed. kali is shot in the arm

the womans sister who was supposed to be dead is really alive. kali figures it almost all out, but is almost killed in the process

the cop she was friends with has decided to forgive her for thinking he was a killer, it was a honest mistake, he should not have been offended in the first place....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Beth.
304 reviews16 followers
May 28, 2009
Complex and riveting overall. One quibble: Why would a transwoman in the SF Bay Area ask a fairly clueless cis-gendered friend about how to talk to dates about her pre-op status? Wouldn't she have lots of trans friends or community groups or support groups to talk to? I think Jacobs needs to update her understanding of the trans community in her hometown.
Profile Image for Mackenzie RM.
1,348 reviews27 followers
August 14, 2017
I honestly have zero recollection of how the plot plays out, but I do remember the synopsis's outlined circumstances. That being said, I don't have a whole lot to say about this book...but given that I gave it 5 stars, I guess I really enjoyed it and I would like to read it again sometime to give it a better review!
Profile Image for Jordyn Linsk Machotka.
23 reviews4 followers
December 25, 2011
Intriguing overall, but an extremely unsatisfying and disappointing ending. Not worth the 300+ pages it took to find out a sub-par resolution in the last 10 pages of the book.
Profile Image for Marie.
181 reviews6 followers
May 6, 2014
Really wanted to rate it a 3 and 1/2 star. Easy, breezy light mystery. I am enjoying the character of Kali O'Brien. Not her best in this series but still an interesting read.
40 reviews1 follower
October 6, 2016
Really good and exciting. Jonnie Jacobs always keeps me guessing until the end.
Profile Image for Suzan.
1,613 reviews14 followers
January 25, 2015
Not the best in the series but a enjoyable read over all.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

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